Printing machine



Aug 21, 1928; 1,681,525

J. s. DUNCAN PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1924 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 21, 1928.

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Filed May 10, 1924 14 Sheet.s-Sheat 12 Aug 21,1928.

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Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,525

J. s. DUNCAN PRINTING MACHINE F ifled May 10, 1924 14 Sheets-sheet l4: Leg/Z 7 REAL. ESTATE TAX LIST CHAS HOGAN 5666 BUREN 5T 5, 42.1.11: .52 A7 a REIDS wasw N. Add. to that? 5m 6 m. BRvHvAN 3245 REILLY AVE- CHICAGO ILL. N- J Hh se. 8 I SUBS DIV.

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Patented Au 21,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 ADDRESSOGRAPI-I COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PRINTING Application filed May 10,

This invent-ion is particularly adapted to be embodied in a printing machine of the type in which a plurality of printing devices are presented to a platen, one by one, and in which means are provided for feeding a blank, a sheet of paper, or the like, to a printing position.

To facilitate the disclosure of my invention, I will first briefly describe the work which a machine embodying one form of my invention is adapted to do.

I have embodied the invention in a printing machine which is primarily intended to be employed in the printing of tax lists. This work, the printing of tax lists, may be divided roughly into two classes. The first class may be said to include all tax lists in which the descriptions of thevarious parcels of land, together with the names of the holders of title thereto, are printed in a single column upon a blank of comparatively large dimensions. The second class of tax lists would then be the lists which have the descriptions of the various parcels of land printed in one column of a blank and the names of the holders of title printed in another column of the blank. While I make particular reference to the tax lists pertaining to real property, it is apparent that the tax lists pertaining to personal property will fall within these classes and that a machine adapted to print tax lists relating to real property would also be adapted to print tax lists relating to personal property.

A printing device. adapted to be employed in a printing machine of the character described may carry the description of a parcel of land and also the name and address of the holder of title thereto, but, in many instances, the fee to several adjacent parcels of land is held by an individual and the data must be spread upon several printing devices. If the tax list is to occupy a single column on the blank, it is readily understood that each printing device will then be presented to the platen in its proper turn and that a single impression will be made thereof. But if the tax list is to occupy a plurality of columns on the blank, a printing device carrying both the description of a parcel of land and the name of the holder of title thereto must be presented to the platen a plurality of times so that the impre'ssion of. the name of the holder of title MACHINE.

1924. Serial Ho. 712,270.

may be placed in one column and so that the impression of the description of the land may be placed in another column, it being understood that my invention contemplates printing devices of standard or convenient dimensions.

In the prior art, the term consecutive printing has been applied to the act of successively feeding the printing devices to a'platen by mechanism which is adapted to present each printing device to the platen a single time. Also, the term duplicating has been applied to the act of presenting a printing device to a platen a plurality of times. I wish to employ the term divided printing" to distinguish from the terms consecutive printing and duplicating, the term divided printing being employed to describe the act of making an impression of a portion of a printing device in one column of a blank and another impression of a different portion of the printing device in another column of the blank. Of course divided printing contemplates the use of duplicating mechanism as in divided printing it is necessary to presentthe printing plate'to the platen a plurality of times.

In practice, it is customary to print severaltax lists, each of which deals with the same land or property. Some of the lists are single column lists, the remainder being double column lists. The reason for this practice is not material to this disclosure and therefore will not be given, but the practice makes necessary the provision of some means for identifying each entry so that one may refer from one of the lists to another of the lists with little trouble. Usually each entry or item is identified by the number of the volume in which it is contained and by a number which has been assigned to that particular entry or item. For instance, an entry given the holder of title either of a single parcel of land or of several adjacent parcels of land would be given a volume number and one of a series of consecutive numbers. It follows then that where the descriptions of various parcels of land, held by an individual are spread over several printing plates, the printing machine, if it is to correctly number the entry, must be adapted to print only one volume number and only one item number for each entry whether the entry is carried by a single printing device or whether it is spread over several printing devices. My improved addressing machine preferably embodies means for properly numbering such entries of the tax lists.

The object of the invention is broadly to provide an improved printing machine of the character described capable of doing the work described above, or of doing work of a similar nature. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a printing machine of the character described adapted to make impressions in two columns of a blank, the columns being spaced from each other a distance which prohibits simultaneous printing of the impressions.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved printing machine of the character described having mechanism for printing an identifying symbol or a number for a single impression or for a group of impressions, the mechanism for printing the symbol or number being controlled by the printing devices so that the entries may be passed through the printing machine in any order.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved printing machine having a numbering mechanism and having im-' proved means for actuating the accumulating mechanism thereof.

A further object of :the invention is to provide an improved printing machine of the character described which has means for shifting the blank back and forth so that impressions may be made in each of two columns on the blank.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved printing machine of the character described :having improved means for feeding the blank so that separate impressions can be made in a plurality of columns on the blank.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a printing machine of the character described which has improved means whereby the machine may be set to either present each printing device to the platen a single time or to present each printing device to the platen a plurality of times, and which has means correlated to the first mentioned means and adapted to assign proper ident fying symbols or numbers to the various entries.

Other objects of my invention will become apparent as the detail description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view/of an addressing machine embodying the novel features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the addressing machine, the view being taken from the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the addressing machine looking from the left of Fig. 1, several parts of the machine being broken away to illustrate certain details of construction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of certain operating mechanism of the addressing machine, the view being an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is another view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4, the mechanism beingshown in a changed position.

Fig. 6 1s a fragmentary side elevation of duplicating mechanism which forms a part of my improved addressing machine.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan elevation of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation partly in section of. the blank or paper holder of the addressing machine.

Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 12-12 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 13 is a bottom plan elevation of platen mechanism forming a part of my improved addressing machine.

Fig. 14 is a section taken on line 1414 Of 2'.

Fig. 15 is a plan of some of the parts shown in Fig. 8, the parts being shown in changed positions.

Figs. 16, 17, 18 and 19 illustrate various positions and adjustments of a mechanism for controlling certain operations of the printing machine, the printing machine being set to present each printing device to the platen a plurality of times.

Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 23 illustrate various positions and adjustments of the mechanism shown in Figs. 16 to'19 inclusive. the printing machine being set or adjusted to present each printing device to the platen a single time.

Fig. 24 is a section taken on line 2424 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 25 illustrates the manner in which certain parts of the platen mechanism are adjusted when each printing device is to be presented to the platen a single time.

Fig. 26 is a view of one of the printing devices employed in my improved addressing machine.

Fig. 27 is a fragmentary view of a blank illustrating the manner in which the printing is arranged-when the machine is set for consecutive printing, and

Fig. 28 is a fragmentary view of a blank showing the manner in which the printing is arranged when the machine is set for duplicating and divided printing.

Referring for the present to Figs. 1, 2 and (ill 3, my improved addressing machine comprises a frame which is designated generally by the reference character 30. The frame 30 is provided with a work-table 31 upon the rear end of which I prefer to mount a motor 32 adapted to drive a pulley 33 by means of a belt 34. The pulley 33 is rotatably journaled upon a shaft 34 which is in turn rotatably journaled in' the frame 30, the shaft being disposed beneath the work-table 31 and being arranged transversely thereof. The pulley 33 forms part of a clutch which resembles clutches of the type generally employed in machines of this character. These clutches automatically disconnect the mechanism of a machine from its driving means when a cycle of operations has been completed unless other means are positioned to hold the several members of the clutch in driving engagement. In this instance, the driving and driven members of the clutch are brought into driving engagement by means of a foot treadle (not shown) which trips a pivoted lever 35 through the medium of a rod 36 pivotally secured to the free end of the lever. When the lever 35 is tripped, the driving and driven members of the clutch engage each other and permit the machine to be driven through a cycle of operations whereupon the driving and driven elements are automatically disengaged unless other means, hereinafter described, are positioned to keep the members in driving engagement. The driven member of the clutch is indicated diagrammatically at 37 and is adapted to reciprocate a pitman 38 which is pivotally secured to the driven member by means of a crank pin 39. The clutch is so designed that one revolution of the driven member 37 is equivalent to a complete cycle of operations of the machine. This permits the pit man 38 to be secured directly, by a pin 40, to an operating member 41 which is adapted to oscillate about theaxis of a pin 42 journaled in the frame 30. The operating member 41 has a cam slot 43 in which an antifriction roller44 is adapted to ride, the anti friction roller 44 being carried by the extension 45 of a platen arm 46 which is pivotally mounted upon an oscillating shaft 47 journaled in the frame 30. The shaft 47 is disposed beneath the work-table 31 but the platen arm 46 extends upwardly through an aperture in the work-table and carries at its free end certain parts of a platen mechanism which is designated, in its entirety, by the reference character 48.

The platen mechanism.

if The platen mechanism 48 preferably comis pivotally mounted upon a pin carried by the platen arm 46 and is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 56 which is connected by means of a link 57 to a lever 58 pivotally mounted on the shaft 47 (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 10). The lever 58 is adapted to be angularly displaced about the axis of the shaft 47 by a block 59 which is also pivoted upon the shaft 47. The block 59 carries lugs 60 and 61 designed to engage the lever 58 alternately and to displace the lever about the axis of the shaft 47, the lugs being so arranged as to permit the lever 58 to remain at rest for a brief period of time between alternate engagements thereof by the lugs. The block 59 is also provided with a downwardly extending arm 62 which is pivotally connected to one end of a link 63 .by a pin 64. the other end of the link being pivotally connected to the operating member 41 by a pin 65. The purpose of this construction will presently appear.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 12, the bifurcated end of the platen lever 51 is slidably journaled upon a cam plate 66, each of the bifurcations 50 being provided, for this purpose, with a pin 67 and a roller 68. The cam plate 66 is itself slidably journaled upon the platen arm 46, the cam plate being secured to the platen arm by a plurality of shouldered screws 69 which permit the cam plate to be moved into a plurality of positions by means including links 70 and 70. The link 70 has one of its ends pivotally secured to the cam plate 66 and the other of its ends pivotally secured to a downwardly extending lever 71 of a frame 72 which comprises a bar 73 formed integrally with two other downwardly extending levers 74 and 75 (Fig. 10). The frame 72 is pivotally mounted upon the pin 55, the levers 74 and 75 being provided with suitable apertures for this purpose. The link 70" connects the lower end of the lever 7 4with the cam plate 66 and has the same function as the link 70.

The lower end of the lever 75 co-operates with a bifurcated plate 76 to bring the cam plate 66 into a plurality of adjusted positions with respect to the platen arm 46. The bifurcated plate 76 has a comparatively long bifurcation 77 and a coniparatively short bifurcation 78 (Figs 1, 8 and 15). It will be noted that the bifurcated plate 76 is slidably journaled in a block 80 mounted upon the work-table 31 and that it can be moved into a position wherein the bifurcation 77 alone will lie in the path of the lever 75 or into a position wherein both bifurcation 77 and 78 will lie in the path of the lever 75. A lever 81 pivotally secured to the bifurcated plate 76 by a pin 82 is pivotally mounted upon the work-table 31, a pin 83 being provided for this purpose. That end of the lever 81 which is remote from the bifurcated plate 76 carries an anti-friction roller 84 adapted to be engaged by a cam bar 85. The cam bar 85 is rigidly secured to a disk 86 rotatably journaled upon a vertically disposed shaft 87. The cam bar 85, when rotated around the axis of the shaft 87, is adapted to displace the lever 81 in a counter clockwise direction (Figs. 1, 8 and 15) around the aXis of the pin 83 against the action of a tension spring 88 which has one of its ends fastened to the lever 81 by means of a pin 89, the other end of the spring being secured to the work-table 31 by a pin 90. The pin 89 passes through an aperture 91 in a bar 92 which serves to secure the pin 83 to the worktable 81. The pin 89 and the aperture 91 co-operate to limit angular displacement of the lever 81 about the axis of the pin 83,

The bifurcated plate 76, the lever 81 and the cam bar 85 are so proportioned that when the cam bar engages the anti-friction roller 84, the bifurcated plate 76 will be held in a position wherein both bifurcations 77 and 78 lie in the path of the lever 7 5 (Fig. 15). And when the cam bar 85 leaves the roller 84, the spring 88 will bring the bifurcated plate 76 into a position wherein only the bifurcation 77 lies in the path of the lever 75 (Fig. 8).

Referring now to Fig. 4, it will be noted that a helical spring 94 is adapted to hold the rollers 68 in engagement with the lower surface of the cam plate 66. It will also be noted that the cam plate 66 is recessed to provide a dwell 95 which would permit the spring 94 to draw the platen roller 49 away from the work-table 31 if the platen mechanism were shifted to bring the rollers 68 into alignment with the dwell 95. The forward portion of the lower surface of the cam plate 66 also forms a dwell which is indicated by the reference character 96.

Fig. 5, if compared with Fig. 4, illustrates the manner in which the platen roller 49 can be brought into a position enabling it to take an impression from a printing device 97 ind cated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The platen roller 49 is brought to this position when the driven member 37 of the clutch is rotated sufficiently to bring the operating member 41 into the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 5. The cam slot 43 in the operating member 41 co-operates with the anti-friction roller 44, while the operating arm 41 is being brought from the position shown in Fig. 4 into the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 5, to displace the platen arm 46 about the axis of the shaft 47. Further displacement of the operating member 41 in a counter clock-wise direction from the position wherein it is shown in Fig. 5 will permitthe antifriction roller 44 to engage a dwell 43 of the cam slot 43 to hold the platen arm stationary so that the roller 49 may be drawn across the face of the printing device to take an impression therefrom. The platen roller 49 is drawn across the face of the printing plate by means of the block 59. It is apparent that continued displacement of the operating arm 41 in a counter clock-wise direction (Fig. 5) will causethe link 63 to rotate the block 59 about the axis of the shaft 47 until the lug 61 engages and angularly displaces the-lever 58. Such angular displacement of the lever 58 results in a correspond'ng angular displacement of the sleeve 54, the lever 58 being connected to the arm 56 of the sleeve by the link 57. As the sleeve 54 is operatively connected to the platen roller 49 by the arm 53 and the lever 51, the sleeve is adapted to draw the platen roller across the printing plate and into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. When the operating arm is returned to its normal position, it restores the platen arm and the platen roller to their normal positions, the normal positions of these parts being illustrated in Fig. 4.

An inspection of Figs. 4 and 5 will show that in Fig. 5 the cam plate 66 occupies a different position relative to the platen arm than it occupies in Fig. 4. This change of positions is brought about by the bifurcated plate 76 which in the full line positions in Figs. 4 and 5 is considered to be in a position wherein both bifurcations 77 and 78 lie in the path of the lever 75. Therefore, when the operating arm 41 is angularly displaced in a counter clock-wise direction (Fig. 4) at the beginning of a cycle of operations, the lever 75 will engage the bifurcation 78 to rotate the frame 72 about the axis of the pin 55. The frame 72, when so rotated, will draw thecam plate 66 from its position in Fig. 4 to its position in Fig. 5, the cam plate being connected to the frame 72 by the links 7 O and When the operating arm 41 returns to its normal position, the bifurcation 77 will cause the lever 75 to rotate the frame 72 to restore the cam plate 66 to its normal position.

If, in a manner and by means hereinafter described, the printing machine has been adjusted to present each printing device to the platen a plurality of times, the bifurcated plate 76 is recprocated, by means of the lever 81 and the cam bar 85, to bring the bifurcation 78 into the path of the lever 7 5 during alternate downward strokes of the platen arm 46. The arrangement is such that when the platen roller is brought downward to take the first impression from a printing device, the bifurcation 78 is withdrawn from the path of the lever 75 and the cam plate 66 is left in the relative position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. Them-when the platen roller 49 is drawn across the printing device to bring it into a position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the rollers 68 will leave the dwell 96, thus permitting the spring 94 to raise the platen roller 49 from the printing device a distance which is monly employed upon printing devices of auged by the roller 68 and the dwell 95.

his construction "permits the platen roller 49 to draw away from the printing device after it has taken an impression of a selected portion of the printing device. \Vhen the platen roller is brought down to make the second impression of the printing device, the bifurcation 78 is brought into the path of the lever 75 to bring the cam plate 66 into the osition wherein it is shown in full lines in *ig. *5. The platen roller may then take an impression of the remaining information carried by the printing device.

When the printing machine is adjusted to present each printing device to the platen a single time, the bifurcated plate 76 is reversed, so that its bifurcation 7 7 is disposed in the path of the lever 7 5 at all times (Fig.

25). The cam plate 66 will then be brought into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 and each time that the platen roller 49 takes an impression from a printing device the impression will include all the information carried by the device.

The printing device and the printing device feed mechanism.

Fig.26' illustrates a printing device of the type which I prefer to employ in connection with my improved printing ma chine. As shown, the printing device 97 preferably comprises a metallic frame 98 on which are secured a plurality of type plates 99 and 100, together with a card 101 which carries the name and address of the holder of title of certain land or property. The information carried upon the card 101 is duplicated in suitable type upon the t pe plate 99. The type plate 100 is adapte to carry a description of the land or other property. A printing device 97 having both a type plate 99 and a type plate 100 is termed a leader. When the description of the property held by one title owner is spread over several printing plates, a leader plate is provided having type plates 99 and 100 which carry information of the character described above. The remaining plates of the entry are not provided with type plates 99 as I prefer to spread the information upon the type plates 100 of the several printing devices. It is not necessary to make a plurality of impressions of the name and address of the holder of title. Printing devices that are not provided with a type plate 99 are termed followers. Thus, an entry may consist of a single leader printing device or it mav consist of a leader printing device'and several follower printing devices. Each of the follower printing devices is rovided with a tab 102 which is indicated in dotted lines this character.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the reference character 103 designates a magazinc in which the printing devices are placed and from which they are fed, one by one, to a printing position beneath the platen roller 49. The means for feeding the printing devices to the printing position comprises a pair of bars 104 which are slidably journaled in the work-table 31 and which are reciprocated to advance the printing devices in a step by step manner. As best shown in Fig. 3, the bars 104 are each provided with a shoulder 105 adapted to withdraw printing devices from the magazine 1.03. The bars are also provided with dogs 106 which cooperate with dogs 107 pivotally secured in the work-table 31 to advance the printing plates to the printing position (Fig. 10). This construction is well known and a detail description thereof need not be given. cured to a cross head 108 which is connected by means of a link 109 to a lever 110 journaled upon a shaft 111. The shaft 111 is fastened in the frame 30 and has its axis disposed parallel to the axis of the shaft 47 (Fig. 10). The lever 110 is provided with an elongated hub 112 which carries an integral arm 113 and an integral lever 1.14, the lever 114 having a push rod 115 pivotally secured to it by means of a pin 116. The push rod 115 controls the operation of a numbering machine which forms a part of my improved printing machine and will be described below. The arm 113 is adapted to be engaged by a latch member 117 pivotally secured to a lever 118 by a pin 119, the .lever 118 being pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the shaft 111. The lower end of the lever 118 is bifurcated to receive one end of a link 119, the other end of the link 119 being pivotally secured to a lever 120 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 47. A bent plate 121 secured to the lever 120 carries an anti-friction roller 122 adapted to co-operate with the aforementioned numbering machine mechanism. The anti-friction roller 122 is rotatably journaled upon an eccentric pin 123 which permits the roller to be brought into a pinrality of adjusted positions with respect to the numbering machine mechanism. As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 10, a lever 1.24 rig idly secured to the shaft 47- has its free end pivotally secured, by means of a pin 125, to a lever 126 which is in turn pivot-ally secured to the operating member 41 by a pin 127. This construction permits the operating member 41 to oscillate the shaft 47 when the operating member is itself oscillated by means of the pitman 38 and the driven However, the bars are rigidly sein Fig. 26, the tab being of the type commember 37 of the clutch. The shaft 47 will in turn oscillate the lever 120 to impart an oscillatory motion to the lever 118 through the medium of the link 119. When the lever 118 is angularly displaced in a counter clock-wise direction (Fig. 3) the latch memher 117 is adapted to displace the arm 113, together with the integrally formed levers 110 and 114, around the axis of the shaft 111 unless the latch member 117 is disengaged from the, arm 113 by suitable means, but granting that the latch member 117 remains in engagement with the arm 113, the lever 110 will impart a reciprocatory motion to the bars 104 through the medium of the link 109 and the cross head 108, the integral levers 110 and 114 and their integral arm 113 being restored to their normal positions by means of a lug 128 projecting laterally from the lever 118 and adapted to engage the lever 110. I employ the term normal to describe the positions that the parts assume at the end of each cycle of operations.

The latch member 117 is constantly in engagement with the arm 113 when the printing machine is adjusted to present each printing device to the platen roller for a single impression. But when the printing machine is to present each printing device to the platen roller a plurality of times, it is necessary to hold the latch member 117 disengaged from the arm 113 during each alternate cycle of operations so that each printing device will remain in the printing position during two consecutive cycles of operations. I have provided means having this function and this means preferably comprises a bent rod 129 which has one of its ends pivotally secured in the latch member 117 and the other of its ends journaled in a U-shaped bracket 130, the latter end of the bent rod being adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel 131 (Fig. 6). The ratchet wheel 131 is rotatably journaled upon a pin 132 which projects from the frame 30 and also journals a lever 133 to which the U-shaped bracket 130 is pivotally nected by a pin 134. The lever 133 is provided with an extension 135 disposed in the path of an antiifriction roller. 136 carried by an arm 137 formed integral with the platen arm 46. The construction is such that the anti-friction roller 136 will angularly displace the lever 133 about the axis of the pin 132 whenever the platen arm brings the platen roller 49 into its lowermost position. The lever 133 is restored to its normal position by means of a helical spring 138 having one of its ends secured to the lever 133 and the other of its ends secured to a bracket 139 formed integral with the frame 30. Angular displacement of the lever 133 by means of the anti-friction roller 136 will=be accompanied by rotation of the ratchet wheel 131 as the bent rod 129 will engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel COIl- 133 is displaced. It will be noted that the teeth of the ratchet wheel 131 are formed by a plurality of notches of unequal depgth,v

the deeper notches being identified by he reference character 140, and the shallow notches being identified by the reference character 141. In Fig. 6, the bent rod 129 is shown in a position in full lines, wherein it rests in one of the deeper notches 140. \Vhen the bent rod 129 is so positioned, the latch member 117 remains in engagement with the arm 113, but as the shallow notches alternate with the deeper notches, it is apparent that if the ratchet wheel is advanced a single step, the bent rod 129 will rest in a shallower notch when the lever 133 is again restored to its normal position. The rod 129 will then hold the latch member 117 disengaged from the arm 113 and on the following down-stroke of the platen arm 46 the printing device feeding mechanism will fail to bring a new printing device into the rinting position, thus enabling the platen ro ler 49 to take a second impression of the printing device which occupies the printing osition.

The a ove described mechanism which comprises the latch member 117, the bent rod 129, the ratchet wheel 131, and the lever 133 is generally known as the duplicating mechanism.

It is evident that the duplicating mechanism must be held in-some adjusted position if the latch member 117 is to remain constantly in engagement with the arm 113 when the printing machine is adjusted to present each printing device to the platen roller for a single impression. This is, accomplished by means of a ush rod 142 slidably journaled in the racket 139 and adapted to be locked in a plurality of positions with respect to the bracket, the bracket being provided with notches 143 and 144 to receive a pin 145 projecting from the push rod. A tension spring 146 is adapted to hold the pin 145 in either of the notches 143 and 144, the spring 146 having one of its ends fastened to the pin 145 and the other of its ends fastened to the bracket 139. In Fig. 6, the push rod 142 is shown in the position wherein it must be placed when the printing machine is to present each printing device to the platen a plurality of times. I have also shown, in dotted lines, the position the push rod must occupy when the printing machine is adjusted to make a single impression of each printing device. The operator may bring the push rod from one of its adjusted positions to the other of its adjusted positions by angularly displacing it about its axis to disengage-the pin 145 from a particular notch and then draw- Inn 

